Overlaid and Underlaid Subcells

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C

Overlaid and Underlaid Subcells

Normal cell UL subcell

f1

f1, f2, f3, f4 f2, f3, f4

OL subcell covering
only a part of the original
cell.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C
 Why OL/UL Subcells?

• The frequencies allocated to the OL subcell cause and

suffer less from interference. An OL subcell make it
possible to use forbidden frequencies.
II

III B
I

A
I

II 

I II 
B
I
I
A I

OL UL

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C

Increased Overall Capacity

IX

IX IR

IR

IR

IR

IR

IR
IX

• A tighter frequency re-use can be applied in the

OL subcells giving more frequencies per cell.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C
 Subcell Change UL to OL (SubCell Load
Distribution, SCLD, Inactive)

• A subcell change will be requested when:

downlink path loss is equal or below LOL - LOLHYST
AND
timing advance is lower than TAOL - TAOLHYST.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C

Subcell Change OL to UL (SCLD

Inactive)

• A subcell change will be requested when:

Downlink path loss exceeds LOL + LOLHYST OR
timing advance is equal to or increases above TAOL +
TAOLHYST.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C
 OL/UL Subcell Change (SCLD Active)

• UL subcell as first choice so if capacity exist,

use UL

• If OL cell has lower C/I than UL due to tighter

frequency re-use, this is good

• Every SCLD interval, specified by parameter

SCLDTIMEINT, the traffic load in the UL subcell
that are active for SCLD are examined for SCLD.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C

Subcell Load Distribution

Percentage of
active TCHs
Subcell change OL to UL
(no other condition)

SCLDUL

No subcell change
SCLDLL

Percentage
of idle TCHs
Subcell change UL to OL
(L < LOL, ta < TAOL)

When the percentage of idle full rate capable TCHs in the UL subcell equals or
falls below SCLDLL subcell changes from the UL to the OL subcell are initiated.
When the same percentage exceeds SCLDUL then subcell changes from the OL
to the UL are initiated. In between no subcell changes are initiated.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C
 Subcell Load Distribution

Apart from OL to UL subcell change due to Subcell Load

Distribution the mobile station can also be requested to
move to the UL subcell because of excessive timing
advance and/or path loss. The following condition is used:

L > LOL + LOLHYST or

ta ≥ TAOL + TAOLHYST

This condition is checked by Locating every SACCH period.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C

Subcell Load Distribution

• No SDCCHs should be configured in OL subcells which make

use of Subcell Load Distribution. This is because Subcell Load
Distribution is limited to traffic channels, i.e. the SDCCH
channel in the OL subcell can not be accessed.

• Full rate connections as well as half rate connections can be

moved by Subcell Load Distribution. High Speed Circuit
Switched Data (HSCSD) connections can not be moved, but will
remain in the UL subcell.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C
 Handovers

Subcell Load Distribution inactive

• Possible to make handover from either the OL or the UL subcell in the serving
cell to either the OL or the UL subcell in the target cell.
• Handover to an OL subcell is only allowed if the the OL subcell is co-sited
(indicated by the parameter CS).
Subcell Load Distribution active
• Handovers to another cell are only possible to the UL subcell.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C

Dimensioning Considerations

• The output power and the size of the OL subcell must

be so small that the OL subcell not causes or suffers
from interference.
• The OL subcell must not be too small. Then it will not
serve any traffic and capacity will be wasted.
• It is important to dimension the OL subcell so it will be
congested before the UL cell since traffic can “spill
over” from the OL subcell to the UL subcell.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C
 Subcell Change and Handover
Possibilities at Co-Siting

CS = YES

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C

Subcell Change and Handover

Possibilities if not Co-Sites

CS = NO

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C
 Note

• The immediate assignment is always carried out in the

UL subcell.
• Assignment to a another cell is not allowed to an OL
subcell unless the cells are co-sited (if SCLD active
assignment to another cell is only possible to the UL
subcell).
• At congestion in the UL subcell it is possible to assign
a traffic channel in the OL subcell as a last resort.
• Intra-cell handover between subcells is allowed at
congestion. An intra-cell handover from the OL to the
UL subcell is also allowed if MAXIHO IHOs have been
reached.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C

Drawbacks with OL/UL Subcells

• In order to improve the interference situation for

the frequencies in the OL subcell substantially,
the OL subcell often must be made very small.
• Dependence of a stationary traffic distribution
between the OL and UL subcell.
• The gain of frequency hopping is reduced when
the available frequencies are divided into two
channel groups.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C
 Parameter Summary

Main controlling parameters

• SCTYPE identifies the subcell type, overlaid or
underlaid, within a cell.
• LOL is the path loss threshold for the serving area of
the overlaid subcell within a cell. This parameter is set
per overlaid subcell.
• TAOL is the timing advance threshold for the serving
area of the overlaid subcell within a cell. This
parameter is set per overlaid subcell.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C

Additional Controlling Parameters

• LOLHYST is the path loss hysteresis for the serving area

of the overlaid subcell within a cell. This parameter is set
per overlaid subcell.
• TAOLHYST is the timing advance hysteresis for the
serving area of the overlaid subcell within a cell. This
parameter is set per overlaid subcell.
• BSTXPWR is the base station power at the reference point
for the locating algorithm on the non-BCCH frequencies
within a cell. This parameter is set per subcell.
• BSPWRT is the base station output power after the power
on the non BCCH frequency within a cell. This parameter
is set per subcell.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C
 Parameter Controlling Dynamic OL/UL
Subcells

OL/UL subcells
Parameter Default Value range Unit
SCLD OFF ON, OFF
SCLDTIMETNT 100 100 to 1000 ms
SCLDLL 20 0 to 99 %
SCLDUL 30 0 to 100 %

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C

• TSC is the Training Sequence Code for the specified

subcell within a cell. This parameter is set per subcell, but
it is not available for cells without an overlaid/underlaid
subcell structure. Note that it is recommended not to
change TSC in the underlaid subcells.
• CS indicates if a cell shares the same site as its
Neighbour. This parameter is set per neighboring cell
relation and it can take the values:
• YES, the cell is co-sited with its Neighbour.
• NO, the cell is not co-sited with its Neighbour.

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C
 Value Ranges and Default Values

Parameter Default Recomm- Value Unit

name value ended range
value
SCTYPE UL, OL
LOL 0 to 150 dB
TAOL 0 to 63 bit periods
LOLHYST 3 2 0 to 63 dB
TAOLHYST 0 0 0 to 63 bit periods
BSTXPWR 0 to 80 dBm
BSPWRT Hardware dep. dBm
TSC BCC1 BCC 0 to 7
CS NO NO YES, NO
1) The TSC is defined by the BSC in the BSIC for
the cell (initially)

Copyright © 1999 by Ericsson Radio Systems AB

2882-EN/LZT 123 4038 Rev C